Bjarnason stymies Rockets for first career shutout

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This article was published 21/10/2022 (1317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Since the Kelowna Rockets moved from Tacoma, Wash., in 1995, they had never been shut out by the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Carson Bjarnason and his teammates changed that on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Carberry product turned aside all 29 shots he faced for his first career clean sheet in the Western Hockey League and Nate Danielson, Andrei Malyavin and Nolan Ritchie lit the lamp as the 5-4-1-0 Wheat Kings snapped a two-game losing skid with a 3-0 triumph over the 3-5-1-0 Rockets at Prospera Place.

Wheat Kings coach Don MacGillivray called the performance the best that he had seen from his squad so far this season as they built off a strong effort a night earlier in a 5-2 loss to the Kamloops Blazers.

“We stuck to the game plan,” MacGillivray said. “We generated offence, got pucks behind them, had much cleaner exits and had some timely goals and saves. It was the type of game that you need to have if you want to win on the road.

“We had some really good moments in Kamloops, but we didn’t get rewarded the way that we should have and the game got away from us a little bit. However, there were a lot of positives that we took from it during our video session and our confidence level was pretty high coming in here.”

It was also an impressive bounce-back showing from Bjarnason, who allowed a couple of tough goals during a 40-save outing against the Blazers.

“You could tell that he was very determined tonight,” MacGillivray said. “I liked the guys in front of him tonight as well. Carson had to make some big saves, but his teammates were there to help him out.”

The Wheat Kings opened up the scoring with just 28.6 seconds to go in the first period.

A shot from defenceman Quinn Mantei bounced off Rockets goalie Talyn Boyko and right to Danielson, who snapped it home for his third of the season.

Malyavin potted his first career WHL goal early in the second as his long-range shot worked its way through traffic and found the back of the net.

“Andrei likes to shoot and he’s not afraid to get the puck off of his stick,” MacGillivray said of the Russian blue-liner, who lit the lamp twice in 44 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting last season.

“He’s still adjusting to the league as it’s a little bit different from the OHL, but he’s done a nice job and he’s fit in very nicely.”

Malyavin’s night nearly turned sour, however, during a Wheat Kings power play.

His backhand pass attempt at the point was intercepted by Rockets forward Dylan Wightman, who raced down the ice on a shorthanded breakaway, only to have his shot attempt end up going right into Bjarnason’s glove.

The Wheat Kings made the Rockets pay on the ensuing rush back up the ice.

A shot from Danielson was tipped by Rylen Roresma and went off of the crossbar. The puck landed behind Boyko and Ritchie snuck it across the goal-line to give the visitors a 3-0 advantage with 9:20 left in the middle stanza.

The third period belonged to Bjarnason as he had an answer for everything that the Rockets threw at him. His best stop came with 5:29 to go as he came across the crease and made a huge glove save on Andrew Cristall, who one-timed a pass from Caden Price.

The Wheat Kings return to action tonight for an 8 p.m. matchup with the 4-6-0-0 Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“We’re going to be heading into a building against a team that’s going to be desperate for a win,” MacGillivray said of a Hurricanes side that dropped a 3-2 home contest to the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday.

“They play us hard all the time and they are very well-coached. It’s going to be a difficult game and we’ll have to be ready for it.”

The Wheat Kings conclude their eight-game road trip Saturday night against the 3-4-1-0 Medicine Hat Tigers.

ICINGS: Brett Hyland (final game of a three-game suspension), Ben Thornton (injury), Charlie Elick and Evan Groening were not in the Wheat Kings lineup, while Colton Dach (concussion protocol), Nicholas Cristiano, Jackson Romeril and Logan Peskett did not suit up for the Rockets … Brandon’s last win in Kelowna was a 3-1 triumph on Oct. 26, 2010 … Bjarnason became the first netminder to record a shutout for the Wheat Kings since Ethan Kruger made 23 saves in a 3-0 road win over the Saskatoon Blades on Jan. 30 … Boyko — who signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers last week — made 29 saves in his first start of the year for the Rockets.

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